There to Rescue Her
by Jensine70
Summary: Set pre-series. Begins on 6 Dec. 2003, the night of Shelly's party. But the party is not held at her house; it's at the beach. The PCHers show up to crash the party. This fic is told in alternating POV (Weevil and Veronica) and takes place in approximately 36 hours (from late Saturday night to Monday around noon). ONE-SHOT


DISCLAIMER: Characters of Veronica Mars, any recognizable dialogue, and the canon events of their storyline belong to Rob Thomas.

A/N:

Another short fic pulled from my "ideas folder."

Set pre-series, begins the night of Shelly's party (6 December 2003, according to #1.20 "M.A.D."). To fit my purposes in this fic, the party is NOT held at her house. It is held at the beach. And the PCH Bike Club shows up to crash the party (like they did in #1.02 "Credit Where Credit Is Due").

This fic is told in alternating POV (Weevil and Veronica) and takes place in approximately 36 hours (from late Saturday night to Monday around noon).

* * *

**Weevil POV**

**Saturday 6 December 2003**

Just another Saturday night. Not looking for trouble. But if it happens to find me, so be it. Just looking for somewhere to hang out with my guys.

On my way to meet up with them, I notice a bunch of 09ers gathering at the beach – our beach. Why the hell can't they stay in their sector?

Looks like I just found something to do tonight.

[

About an hour later, we roll up in the parking lot at the beach. We park at the far end of the lot and walk toward the sand. For several minutes, I stand at the edge of the lot looking down at the party.

"Weevs, we goin' down there or what?" Felix asks.

"In a minute," I say to him.

I have just noticed a girl on one of those folding lounge chairs – she appears to be passed out. But that doesn't seem to be stopping a group of guys from handling her. From this distance, it's hard to be sure, but she looks familiar.

A while back, I had picked up a fake siren. Thought it might be fun for a practical joke sometime. This seems like a good time.

Normally, I might go down and get in their faces. Just for the fun of it. God, how I loved getting under the skin of that asshole Lilly had been dating. But not gonna take that approach tonight.

Tonight, I just need to get them to stop messing with that girl. My guess is that if I set off the siren, they all run and leave her there. If they surprise me and try to take her with them … well, then I'll get in their faces. No way I'm letting them do anything else to her tonight.

I'm not even sure why I care. Except ... it's just wrong. I may be a criminal, but there are some lines I will not cross. I don't let my guys cross them. Sure as hell not gonna let these 09er scum get away with it. Not when I can easily stop them.

On issues like this – the treatment of women – I willingly wear the white hat or the superhero cape. Trust me; I know how much of a contradiction that is. But it's an issue of character. And for whatever reason, these "clean-cut" people seem to lack this particular aspect of character – basic human decency and respect for women.

For those of us raised by our grandmothers or single moms, we understand at a deep level that women have a type of strength men will never possess – and yet, there are times they need protection. This happens to be one of those times. And my grandmother would kill me if she knew I allowed a guy to do this to a girl.

So I tell my guys the plan. I send two of them to go get a couple of cars. A few of them should head straight for the kegs and make sure the 09ers didn't try to take them. Felix will back me up. The others should chase the group, get them to vacate the beach as fast as possible.

Then, I tell Felix that I am headed straight for the blonde passed out on the lounge chair. "She does not leave with them. Understood?"

"Got it," he replies with a chin lift.

As soon as I set off the siren, the 09ers scatter just as I expected. Also as expected, they leave the blonde behind. Nice manners, assholes.

Not long after we run them off, my guys are back with the cars. I have them load up the kegs in one car and send them to Hector's house to party the night away on the 09ers' dime.

There are a few questioning looks as Hector asks, "You joining us or …?" He gestures toward the blonde.

"Just gonna make sure she gets home safe," I say.

One of the newer members laughs. "Yeah. Right. 'Safe.'"

I walk over and smack the back of his head. "When you look at a girl, what do you see? Just a piece of ass? Get it straight – women are not objects. Each one is someone's daughter, sister, cousin." I look around at the stunned faces. "Would you run off and leave your sister passed out? Unprotected?" I let it sink in. "Yeah, I didn't think so. I may hate those guys as much as you do, but I'd like to think we're better than them … at least on this one thing." Turning my attention back to the new guy who had mouthed off, I say, "So, yeah … I'm gonna make sure she gets home safe."

A couple of them help me get her to the second car. After the rest of them leave, Felix asks where I'm headed, adding, "You know where she lives?"

"No. And even if I did, I don't think her father would take kindly to me knocking on the door to deliver his daughter in this state." By now, I had recognized the blonde as the daughter of Sheriff Mars. "Gonna find somewhere to let her sleep it off. Figure she wasn't gonna make curfew anyway."

With a chin lift, Felix says, "Call me if you need anything."

"Always."

Climbing in behind the wheel, I decide to head for a motel on the edge of Neptune where I have a cousin who works in housekeeping.

[

[

**Veronica POV**

**The next morning**

**Sunday 7 December 2003**

As I am waking up, I realize that I am not in my own bed. The sheets and mattress feel different. The room smells different. I open my eyes and see light coming between the curtains – curtains I do not recognize. I roll over to look around the room and see another bed. Although I can't see a face, I can tell that someone is sleeping in the other bed.

I get up quietly to use the bathroom. When I return to the main room, I walk over to the window. Moving the curtain aside, I look out. Nothing looks familiar. I have no idea where I am, how I got here, or who is in the room with me.

Just as I turn around to look at the beds, the person rolls over and stretches. "How are you feeling?"

"Not great." I pause. He looks familiar. I think he goes to my school. "Where are we? How did I get here?"

"How much do you remember from last night?"

I explain that I remember getting to the party, but not much after that. I don't tell him how nervous I had been about going; I don't tell him that those people are no longer my friends. I don't know him well enough to tell him how messed up my life has been lately – my best friend murdered, my father hated by most of the town, my mother acting strangely, and the two of them getting into more fights than I could ever remember. And my long-time boyfriend had dumped me not long before all hell broke loose. Nothing in my life felt right anymore. But that wasn't any of his business. Then I had a thought – if he did go to Neptune High, then he probably knew most of that stuff anyway.

He studies my face as I answer him, seeming to know that there was more that I wasn't saying.

When I finish, he puts an arm under his head and begins to talk. "We showed up at the beach. Broke up the party. They left you there." He pauses. "You were pretty out of it. Did you take something?"

"No. I remember having one drink right after I got there. That's all."

"Someone must have put something in your drink."

By now, he is sitting up. He is shirtless, and I see his jeans are on a nearby chair. Trying not to think about how little he is wearing, I can't help but notice his tattoos. That's when it hits me: I do know who he is. Can't remember his name, but he's the leader of the PCH Bike Club.

If I was as out of it as he says, he couldn't have brought me here on his motorcycle. "How did we get here?"

"Borrowed a car."

"Borrowed?" I ask, and he doesn't miss my implication.

"Yes. Borrowed. You can get that worried look off your face. The only thing that got stolen last night were the kegs of beer your friends left behind."

"So you borrowed a car … and brought me here."

"Didn't think it was a good idea to show up at your house with you like that. Also didn't think you'd want to get spotted leaving my house this morning."

"Again I ask, where are we?"

"Motel on the north edge of town." Just as he answers me, there is a knock at the door.

He pulls back the sheet, revealing striped boxers. Hurriedly, he grabs his jeans and pulls them on. Walking toward the door, he zips the fly.

He has a brief conversation with a girl at the door. He seems to know her. The last thing he says is "Thanks" as he closes the door.

Seeing the look on my face, he explains, "My cousin. She works here. I texted last night and asked her to bring a few things for you. Clothes, shampoo, makeup – girl stuff. When you're done with everything, drop the bag off in the office. She can pick it up later."

"And the clothes?"

"You can return them later."

"Drop them off here? Or bring them to school?"

"I would figure you'd be more comfortable bringing them here."

Awkward silence hangs between us until I finally say, "Thank you … for all this."

He pulls his shirt over his head and starts to put on his boots. "I'm gonna get some food from the vending machine. I'll be back in a couple minutes."

When he returns with coffee and packages of mini donuts – powdered, my favorite – I get the courage to ask, "So nothing happened last night?" When I had gotten out of bed to use the bathroom, I noticed that I was fully dressed.

Gesturing at the bed, he says, "Here? You and me? No, I may be a lot of things, but I don't take advantage of girls who are unconscious." He studies my eyes again, as he has several times this morning.

I drop my eyes to the floor. "I wouldn't figure I'm your type anyway."

He let out a laugh. "You know who I am?"

Looking back up, I say, "Yes." Why is my voice breathy?

Damn, the look on his face tells me he noticed that.

He walks over to me and reaches out his hand. "Don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Eli Navarro."

Taking his hand, I say, "Nice to meet you, Eli. I'm Veronica—"

He cuts me off, "Mars. Nice to be met."

There is another long awkward moment before I lean in to kiss him on the cheek as I say, "Thank you again. For everything you did … and didn't do."

He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. "_De nada_."

That moment was replaying in my head as I showered and got ready to leave.

He had only stayed long enough to drink his coffee and eat his mini donuts. As he was leaving, he gave me his phone number and enough cash for a cab to get home. He let me know that I could take my time; he had paid for an extra day figuring I might sleep past checkout time.

The last thing he had said was, "Walk into school tomorrow with your head held high. You did nothing wrong. If there are any rumors, they won't be from my guys – I'll make sure of that. But if the 09ers remember they left you there when we showed up, they might start something."

I hadn't even thought about that.

[

[

**Weevil POV**

**The following morning at school**

**Monday 8 December 2003**

I wish I hadn't been right. But those assholes had started shit about her. I feel powerless to help her, watching from a distance. But I figure it would only make things worse if I went over to talk to her.

If she invites me into her life, well that would be different. Then I'd protect her any way I could.

Of course, that starts me thinking about Lilly. I can't go through that again. I refuse to be anyone's secret ever again.

[

[

**Veronica POV**

**Later the same day - around lunchtime**

Walking past a classroom on my way to lunch, I overhear a math teacher talking to Eli about his grade – emphasizing the fact that he needs to do well on an upcoming exam.

I walk into the room as the teacher is suggesting he get a tutor.

"Yeah, can't exactly afford that … what with the quarterly minimum at the country club."

Trying not to laugh at his comment, I say to the teacher more than Eli, "Sorry to interrupt. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But I have some extra time. I could tutor him."

"Veronica, that's very kind of you, but this would not be a one time thing. He's gonna need help the rest of the year."

"That's fine. My social calendar is pretty empty."

After we finish the conversation with his teacher, we walk out into the hallway.

With a hand on my arm, he stops me. "Why would you do this?"

"Help someone who needs my help? Be nice to someone who was nice enough to help me when I needed it?" Tilting my head, I add, "Gee, I don't know. Why would I do this?"

He studies my eyes and then a smile plays at the corner of his lips. "I think you just want to spend time alone with me."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"I saw you check me out when I was putting my jeans on."

Blushing, I look down as I reply, "And you're not at all attracted to me?"

Stepping toward me, he leans in to whisper in my ear, "I think you know I am."

[

[

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**Epilogue **

**Veronica POV**

And that was how it all began. Things were different after that. All because he had been there to rescue me that night on the beach.

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A/N:

As I usually do with things that are pulled from my "ideas folder" … I'm posting it as a one-shot and marking it complete, but there's always the possibility that my imagination comes up with a way to continue it.

Thanks for reading.

Until next time …

~Jen

19 November 2019


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